Hooray, warm weather is upon us!  And with that, many people are pulling out their grills and firing up their barbecues. I can already smell that freshly grilled burger, and it is making my mouth water in anticipation. Whether your choice is veggie kababs or hot-off-the-grill burgers, barbequed food delights are aplenty. Before you jump on the bandwagon, now is a great time to review some safety tips to make sure everything is ready for you to enjoy the delicious grilling. Use your propane or charcoal grill outside only and at an appropriate distance from your home or other building … Continue reading

Along with crazy times in our world, we are in the midst of some crazy times in insurance. In many lines of coverage on the business insurance side of the house, we are in what is referred to as a “hard market.” This means more often than not, increased premiums – two words our insureds never want to hear. Directors & Officers Coverage, Employment Practices Liability, Medical Professional Liability, Business Auto, Property, Umbrella – truly seeing increases on average of 15% + across the board as rates go up. We expect this trend to continue on well into 2021. A hard market can also … Continue reading

Many Americans regard dogs as cute, cuddly, friendly, and loveable animals. However, some people view dogs as vicious, dangerous, and potentially harmful. The stay-at-home orders of 2020 gave numerous households an impulse to adopt dogs at a much higher rate than average. According to the American Pet Products Association, almost 90 million dogs currently live in American households. While many adoptions were well-intended and brought comfort to the new pet owners and the dogs themselves, all of the adoptions came with the responsibility and liability of owning a dog. What happens when your dog bites another person? If that person … Continue reading

Online enrollment helps you save time during benefits enrollment and ongoing management by eliminating paper forms, reducing errors, and creating digital files. The value here lies in the fact that less time is spent collecting and reviewing forms, determining eligibility, and communicating benefit details. For employees, they can easily compare their benefit options and select the ones best suited to their specific needs. Online enrollment deepens your relationships with your employees by giving them and their dependents 24/7 access to plan details and educational resources regarding their benefits. Research shows that the more educated employees are about their benefits, the … Continue reading

Starting a new job often elicits feelings of fear or discomfort in navigating the unknown in new responsibilities, new surroundings, and new people.  VAST does something special to increase the comfort level of our newest hires.  The VAST Mentorship Program pairs the new hire with an experienced employee who has worked for VAST for a substantial amount of time to be a loyal guide and mentor for their first year. Official and structured mentorship programs give new hires the opportunity to sit down one-on-one with a knowledgeable employee to help motivate and engage them in their new place of work.  … Continue reading

As much as I hate to admit that summer is over and the warm temperatures are gone, it is true.  Winter is just around the corner.  With that, comes the cold, snow, and icy weather conditions that can make driving hazardous. Autumn is the perfect time of year to do a full check-up on your vehicle and make sure you are prepared to handle the impending winter driving conditions.  It may seem like a funny concept, but spending money now to prepare your vehicle for the cold weather will actually cost less in the long run and prevent you from … Continue reading

Traveling for business, pre-COVID, was a simple matter. Employees and businesses made travel arrangements almost daily and did not think twice about it. The COVID-19 Pandemic has not only changed the way individuals are going to travel, but businesses as well. With new restrictions and health protocols for flying being implemented around the globe, businesses may look to potentially outsourcing air travel for their employees to specialized companies, or even employees who may have access to personal aircraft. If your business is considering either one of these options, it should also look into putting a non-owned aircraft liability in place. … Continue reading

There are multiple coverages that a trucking / transportation business has to have to ensure proper coverage. Business auto to cover the vehicles while they are on the road, workers compensation to cover your employees while they are working, and motor truck cargo to cover the goods of others while you deliver them are probably some of the most obvious ones that you would think of. However, to make sure your business is properly covered in the event of any loss, you must take a look at all lines of coverage to address all risks. One area of coverage that … Continue reading

You own a business, and you want to start contracting out some of your hauling and logistics to a local trucking company. You reach out to several companies to get quotes, but you want more information on who you are going to be in business with. You really want to see how the companies stack up against each other in terms of safety, but are not sure where to find that information? Well, you are in luck! The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) operates, and maintains, a website where the public can research basic information about any registered motor … Continue reading

In honor of Earth Day this past April, the Green Team at VAST celebrated by encouraging all VAST team members and their families to do an environmentally friendly activity at home during our Stay at Home Order.  While this was not our original idea of how to celebrate Earth Day, it still resulted in great fun, participation, and many different acts that both helped and honored our earth. We gave our team members some ideas on how to be green at home, and they ran with it!  We saw people growing indoor herbs and veggies for their gardens, upgrading their … Continue reading